Situated on the opposite side of the river to all the trendy bars and clubs on Riverside is The…read moreWaterfront. A grimy, run down building with a lackluster interior and a floor that your feet will stick to all night long. But don't let that put you off! During the week it is used as a music venue and although you'll never see the likes of Oasis play there, it does attract great up and coming bands. It also offers local bands a chance to showcase their talent with nights organised by local promoters. At the weekends the venue is used as a club that generally caters for the 'alternative' Norwich scene. Friday nights tend to alternate each week between 80's and 90's theme, which may sound cheesy but the DJ's actually play decent music from those decades. It is nothing like your typical Flares or Reflex nightclubs. Every Saturday in the main room downstairs is a club night called Meltdown, which tends to play alternative music catering for the indie/emo/punk/rock/dance genres. Up stairs there are two rooms. One is a small café bar, which is great to as a chill out area as there are plenty of tables and chairs located around. The other room is larger which has a different set of DJ's each week will be a different themed night. Anything from New Electro to Britpop to Heavy Metal or Rap. There's rarely any trouble in The Waterfront and you'll always make a new friend each time you go there. Overall, it's a great night out with a quality friendly atmosphere!

Despite the dated look and the sticky floor this is probably the best place to catch bands on their…read moreway up. With a capacity of about 750 it feels intimate even when full. Bar is not too pricey, possibly due to catering to a student crowd. Check what is on and give it a go.

I've wanted to visit this bar for years since I last lived here, but I only got the chance now. The…read moredecor is very much in the London trendy/hipster style and I absolutely loved it. I decided to get a pint of beer which was good as I expected and my boyfriend got the strawberry milkshake, which he really enjoyed but ended up drinking way too quickly. I think a bigger portion of that might be better. I think this is a great place to stop when out drinking or to have your last pint before going home if you've been out all day and it's getting late. Definitely a must go.

Twee down to the neon heart in the back room, the resident cat and the anatomical model behind the…read morebar. If you are a fan of tweeness then you deserve to make a pilgrimage to this bar where the clientèle is Norwich's hipster population, infact it would be a safe bet to say that between this bar and the Norwich Arts Centre is the epicenter of hipsterville in Norwich. Saying that it is super-friendly and quirky. The staff are very nice and the selection of live music and cabaret is very typical of Norwich's music scene (mostly acoustic guitar sets). There are stacks of Vice and various other fashion magazines hanging around as well as a pile of boardgames in the corner (Ive played many an intense game of Scrabble here). The drinks are a little expensive but this is balanced out by the fact it's genuinely a nice place to drink and some nights there is a cover to see bands but this is usually "optional". Conclusion; hipstertastic but ultimately nice.

Club night that runs at the university campus. Great if you are living in Halls as the walk home is…read moreno existent. They do various themes and fancy dress. The movie themed night had free popcorn and prizes from the local cinema as well as inflatable Oscars on stage. As a live music venue it can get quite busy. There's a large pit area where most people dance and watch the acts. On the outer sides of this people stand on the stairs. There are two bars available to buy drinks from and a merchandise table is usually found at the back. The number 25 bus is a regular scheduled service here from the city centre.

The LCR at the University of East Anglia is an excellent venue for students and non-students alike…read more Many up and coming bands have played the LCR and many of the older bands come back to play time and time again. Acts of the moment often use the LCR as a warm up gig for a bigger tour. Ticket prices are reasonable - usually up to £20 a time, and the venue is intimate - meaning you actually get to see the band you are paying to see without the need for video screens! Being a university, bar prices are student prices, so you can have a decent night out without it breaking the bank. Buses run regularly to and from the city centre to the UEA so there is no problem with getting home afterwards, and for those who are driving in, there is ample car parking available. Tickets can be booked online or over the phone, and the staff are very helpful. If you sign up for their newsletter, they will keep you informed of new gigs coming along.

Previously slightly dodgy pub that has turned into one of the bigger music venues in Norwich.read more

We had a great nite here!read more

Norwich Arts Centre is the kind of place that you can visit for no other reason than the ambience…read more As you walk in, the walls are full of band posters - most of whom you'll never have heard of - and the staff trotting about are all dressed in artsy hippie clothing. The foyer contains black leather chairs, which nicely compliment the bare brick walls of the building. Further inside, the concert room, bar, and upstairs lounge are all prominent and fantastic features. The drinks that the Arts Centre offers are displayed in handwritten, multi-coloured chalk behind the bar, which during the late afternoon is a good coffee place, and in the evening houses a bustling night life. Musicians gather from around the world most nights to perform at the Arts Centre. Locals will sometimes perform in the bar area, but most of the gigs happen in the seated concert room. The Arts Centre can boast stars such as Damien Rice and One Night Only during their very first tours, which is very impressive for such a small venue. A great place to grab a drink, meet with friends and hear some brilliant upcoming music.

Norwich Arts Centre is a really nice, intimate venue for live music. I've seen a couple of shows…read morehere and enjoyed them both. The acoustics are pretty good, and the sound technicians are normally good too. The place also has a bar/cafe with some nice drinks, and this makes it a good venue to meet up with friends, possibly before wandering further into the city.

I am not usually one to complain about my experience at Cuba Revolution, but unfortunately…read moreeverything was awful this time. I had pre-ordered our meals and I received a confirmation this was passed over to the Norwich management team before we were due to arrive. When we arrived, we were informed they were not aware of our pre-orders so we ordered on arrival. We were then waiting for an hour (baring in mind it was small meals and it was not busy in the restaurant) and so I asked if we could get these to go as we didn't have all afternoon to wait for our meals. Once we had settled up, we were not offered any money off for the inconvenience and to top it off we were missing one side of sweet potato fries and the rest of the food was charcoaled like it had been sitting under a hot counter for hours. We are very un-impressed and wasn't able to eat the food as it was cold and inedible. It was sad that no one came to check on us after 30 minutes to even give us an update as to why the food was taking so long. Safe to say, I regrettably will not be returning for food anytime soon.

It's a little trashy, but drinks are 2 for 1 during happy hour and they're strong. They also had a…read morelive band going which was fun. We tried a few appetizers and they were ok but not very good. The main highlight was watching a very drunk old man dancing, singing and ripping his top off before being escorted out by security. You don't get entertainment like that every day!!

Norwich Playhouse is a great place for summertime drinking and relaxing, situated near to the city…read morecentre. Although the bar is rather small, the staff provide excellent service and there is a wide range of local ales, ciders and continental lagers. It also has a large beer garden overlooking the picturesque river that runs through Norwich. There is a small theatre inside which mainly attracts dance acts, ballet and drama groups, also hosting up and coming comedians as well as bands from less commercial musical backgrounds such as Jazz and Classical. You can often find DJ's or local solo artists performing in the bar, with music being broadcast over the speakers into the beer garden. Norwich Playhouse offers something a little different from the large pub chains such as Weatherspoons. It is definitely a place for a quiet sociable drink with good surroundings and a friendly atmosphere.

When I was in art school, I used to frequent this hangout quite a lot…read more The place is a nice bar, with a great outdoors area through the back, alongside a theatre. Its a great place to meet friends and has a good atmosphere on most nights. You can grab a bite to eat on a Saturday lunchtime, though it is very busy.

upon stumbling across this little bar hiden away in the centre of norwich close to all shopping…read moreareas. its not the largest of pubs but this adds to its atmosphere. has live music on regulary unfortunatly not on occasions ive visited. friendly staff. a definite place to make an effort out of the beaten track of norwichs nightlife to visit.prices very fair and reasonable

Great rock and Roll pub in the lanes area of Norwich City centre, with plenty of memorabilia on the…read morewalls and rockin' live music, especially if you are into your blues. Restuaraunt is upstairs nice selection of mainly American type Burgers/Meals, which offers value for money

I had heard many good things about this pub before finally walking through the door one Sunday…read moreevening for a pint. The first thing that struck me was the amazing range of beverages displayed on the board above the bar - how can one choose? The crowd this particular evening was about 60 strong, the atmosphere was jovial - unoccupied seats were nonexistent. I manoeuvred through the heaving mass and into the small gap between two punters to place my order at the bar - a gypsy-like barmaid appeared to take my order. Sullen faced and visibly disinterested she grunted in my direction, I took this as my cue to request my desired frothy. "A pint of La Chouffe please" I asked. The response I got back from her was drenched in a thick Norfolk accent, unintelligible to anyone other than her ilk. After twice excusing myself and asking her to repeat her response I gathered that she was telling me that the La Chouffe was off. I went for the Budvar instead, it was served in a straight non branded pint (as was every other drink being drank in the bar). The Budvar was refreshingly cold and tasted brewery fresh. I looked in vain for a free seat inside, but after getting a nostril full of the vomit-like smell at the back of the pub near the toilets I was happy to venture outside and perch at one of the tables. Due to living in close proximity I have been back a few more times sampling many of the stouts on gravity which seem to change quite frequently. The range of beers continue to impress, but the staff continue to disappoint. If they could put some focus on to improving their customer service for anyone who isn't a known customer and also liberally apply some Febreze to the floors this place could live up to its reputation. There is a sense that the owner/staff are resting on their laurels. Watch out, the competition is surely coming.

You know it has to be good pub to thrive outside the centre of town, off the main street on a…read morerelatively quiet road. This is a generally a busy, noisy placein fact I want to break out the adjective raucous to describe this one. Yet at the same time we were able to find a seat in a quieter room over to the right. I had a couple of their quality beers, namely the Hell Cat and the Marmalade Cat. I was also very pleased to see them selling rolls on the bar. They were at such a reasonable price that we bought some to take with us for later in the day!

Well this is a lovely little place. Actually a reasonable…read moresize bigger than it looks from outside. A friendly crowd, a roaring (gas) fire and some warmth on a freezing Norwich night. (At least it's stopped raining for once, I suppose) The menu is the only reason that I have docked a star one of the right on pulse, fruit and rabbit-food mash-ups of normal dishes .. steak and kidney pie au braised Somalian rhubarb flowers, seagull's tears jus and a soupcon of freshly ground organic love. (I made that dish up by the way. Though, to be fair, I only saw the specials on the board this could actually be in the menu). The staff were really friendly, the vibe was really friendly. The lights were low so I couldn't read my Kindle without my eyes watering. A lime and soda cost £1. Definitely worth a punt.

Every time I visit my friends in Norwich, Take 5 is pretty much the first place we go for drinks…read moreand snacks. The atmosphere is cosy when the weather's crap and there's a lovely but tiny courtyard for when the it's sunny (it does happen once in a while). Whatever the weather situation, we always manage to have a great time. Though I'm not anything close to being a vegetarian, I have always quite enjoyed their veggie burgers. They are obviously made in-house (or at least they used to be... haven't been in a while) and are hearty, well seasoned, and rather delightful. If that doesn't appeal, they've got plenty of other veggie options to choose from and a few things for those with more carnivorous tendencies as well. We've always had very friendly/efficient service, there's always some good people watching to be done, and I'm a bit jealous whenever I hear that my friends have gone without me (which apparently, they do quite often. pffft!). Looking forward to my next visit in September. Hurrah!